The American Nature Study Society 1955-11

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NOVEMBER, 1955

Atlanta Meeting Is a Success

The 1955 meeting of the ANSS at
Atlanta marks another milestone of prog-
ress for perhaps the oldest of the science
teaching societies. Over a hundred mem-
bers and friends of the society were in
attendance at one or more of the meet-
ings including the banquet.

Numerous fine and significant papers
were read. The Nature Study Idea of
Liberty Hyde Bailey was the theme for
the Tuesday afternoon meetings. Dr. E.
Laurence Palmer who has been instru-
mental in aiding over 4000 students to
gain various degrees of insight into the
philosophy behind the Nature Study Idea
presented some highlights on the mean-
ing of this philosophy. He had a movie
of the early Cornell proponents of Nature
Study among whom were John H. and
Anna Bostford Comstock, Liberty Hyde
Bailey and others. He also played a re-
cording of an interview with Liberty Hyde
Bailey in which the founder of the Amer-
ican Nature Study Society answered ques-
tions and clarified some of his philosophy.

In a second paper on the nature study
idea, Dr. Walter Thurber gave a review
of some applications of the Nature Study
Idea to the elementary school situation.
Through presenting opportunities to carry
on observations and by providing a doing
program children will grow in stature.

An evaluation of the place of the
Nature Study Idea in the General Educa-
tion Program at the college level was pre-
sented by Stanley B. Mulaik. He pointed
out that some fine work was currently
being done at some of the smaller liberal
arts and teachers colleges. Many of the
larger schools, however, were still moti-
vated by textbook, lecture and classical
laboratory methods which do not lend
themselves to the type of doing program
which might more readily have at least
an undercurrent of the Nature Study
Idea.

At the program featuring ‘The appeal
of the Nature Writer to all Age Groups”
there were assembled the finest writers
and speakers. Roger Tory Peterson most
ably discussed the place of the handbooks
on natural history as aids to answering
the perennial question “What is it?”
Herbert Zim pointed out there was dis-
appearing the idea of an age level in
many good natural history handbooks
People are using the fine variety of these
books from the lower grades to the ad-
vanced naturalist. This is truly ‘“Extend-
ing Horizons” in the appeal of the nature
writer.

Millicent Selsam discussed ‘Encourag-
ing Early Research’ and made a good
case for evaluating and encouraging the
young child to make independent dis-
coveries regardless of how “‘trifling’’ they
might be in the eyes of the graduate
scientist. Through such activity, growth
in stature is assured.

Ed Dodd, creator of Mark Trail showed
that the comic strip is very effective in
developing a sound conservation con-
sciousness. However, it was necessary to
carry on considerable research and field
observation to gather sufficient material
to make an accurate visual picture of the
situation in nature being portrayed.

Charles Mohr set the stage showing
how those trained in various aspects of
natural history can enter into a great
variety of occupational fields such as for-
estry, lumbering, game management,
recreation leadership and many others.

Thanks

We extend sincere thanks for the ar-
rangements to make the stay of the ANSS
in Atlanta a most pleasant one to the
committee on local arrangements and par-
ticularly to W. B. Baker who made ar-
rangements for the ANSS and to Annie
Sue Brown, group chairman for the
Science Teaching Societies.

Dr. Bertha Chapman
Cady Dies at 84

Dr. Bertha Chapman Cady who was
the guest of honor at the American
Nature Study Society banquet at Atlanta,
and who addressed the group briefly, died
in Atlanta, Georgia on January 26 at the
age of 84. Dr. Cady was the tenth presi-
dent. of the American Nature Study
Society serving for three years from 1928
to 1930. She was the only person to have
served three terms.

For 15 years Dr. Cady was the natural-
ist for the Girl Scouts of America and
was author of the Girl Scouts’ Nature
Program. She served for a number of
years as executive secretary of the Coordi-
nating Council on Nature Activities with
headquarters at the American Museum of
Natural History.

She taught for some time at Stanford
University where she received a Doctorate
in entomology and she became a national
authority on the doodle-bugs.

Survivors include two daughters, Mrs.
Victor J. Montoya of Vidalia, Georgia
who attended the Nature Study Society
banquet with her mother, and Mrs.
Robert Woodman of Santa Fe, N. M.
and a sister, Mrs. Robert L. Donald of
Portland, Oregon. Dr. Cady’s husband
died some years ago.

Howard Weaver is

New Treasurer

The new treasurer of the ANSS is Dr.
Howard E. Weaver, and he is anxious to
have the society membership grow. Plans
are being laid for a membership cam-
paign. He will welcome any ideas or
volunteers as aids to implementing such a
program. Send these to 202 Men’s Old
Gym, University of Illinois, Urbana, IIli-
nois. Dues are also welcome at that ad-
dress.

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A. N.S. 56.

NEWS

LETTER

Vice-President
RICHARD L. WEAVER
P. O. Box 2073
Ann Arbor, Michigan

From The Editor

The appeal of your editor to a portion
of the membership of the ANSS brought
gratifying returns. About fifteen replies
came in from which were gleaned some
very interesting items. Your editor wishes
to thank those who responded, and in the
few cases where he hasn't replied with a
written “thank you,” he will try to get
one off a little later.

A multiplicity of activities plagues him
as it does many others, and little notes
of courtesy, or even big letters are often
relegated to the background. This un-
doubtedly sounds familiar to most of you.
This brings to mind a comment recently
seen somewhere in reading at a newsstand
(yes I get some free literature) that one
of the greatest curses of national organiza-
tions is the feeling given to its members
of being neglected. In this connection,
the board of directors at their annual
meeting decided that in the future new
members will receive a warm welcoming
letter from some of our past presidents
who were glad to offer their services to
this activity.

The ANSS has great prestige and
honor, and the membership should cherish
this and help it to grow. One way is
through the good works its members per-
form. Members owe it to themselves and
to the Nature Study Movement which is
having a great rebirth to tell the world of
these works. Your editor will welcome a
few lines about your doings. Don’t be
one to hide your contributions under a
bushel.

E. L. Will Conducts
Visual Aids Study

Dr. Emery L. Will of State Teachers
College, Oneonta, New York, is making
a study of practices and trends in Audio
Visual use in the country. This work is
being carried out under the sponsorship
of the National Association of Biology
Teachers. A report related to this study
was made at the Atlanta meetings of the
National Association of Biology Teachers.

AMERICAN NATURE STUDY SOCIETY NEWS LETTER

Affiliated with
The National Association of Biology Teachers
The National Science Teachers Association _
The American Association for the Advancement of Science

Publication Dates: Spring, March; Summer, June; Fall, September; Winter, November

Editor

STANLEY B. MULAIK
University of Utah
Sale Lake City 12, Utah

Society Officers

President
MALVINA TRUSSELL
2011 Lee Avenue

Tallahassee, Florida
Secretary
HELEN ROSS
State Teachers College
Fitchburg, Massachusetts

November, 1955

Treasurer
HOWARD E. WEAVER
202 Men’s Old Gym
University of Illinois
Urbana, Illinois

Resources Directory
Available

Persons interested in our natural re-
sources will welcome a new publication
which is the 1955 Directory of Organiza-
tions and Officials Concerned with the
Protection of Wildlife and Other Natural
Resources. This may be obtained from
the National Wildlife Federation, 232
Carrell Street, Washington 12, D. C.
Enclose 25 cents with your order to cover
minimum costs.

An Adult Camping Club

HurLEY GAYMAN

The formation of the Desomount Club
of Los Angeles in 1951 was the result of
having had nature-study field trips in
L. A. State College made so valuable and
charming that the registrants, having com-
pleted all courses available, were unwill-
ing to terminate their studies in the field
which had become a fascinating avoca-
tion. Their pleasure at having had their
eyes opened to so many of the beauties
and perfections of nature of which they
were previously unaware, impelled them
to form an organization for continued
trips under competent leadership of local
naturalists, specialists and numerous club
members.

The study of desert, ocean, mountain
(Des-o-mount) became an _ instilled
hobby. Combined with the values of out-
door living was the enduring satisfaction
of meeting, over and over, persons with
the same intellectual and aesthetic sensi-
tivities. The inroads of population on our
most precious natural areas deepened their
determination to make the most of what
was still to be had, and to support all
conservation campaigns.

As Emerson observed, “Every institu-
tion is the lengthened shadow of one
man’’— so the Desomount Club is largely
an emination of the personality of Roland
Case Ross. His instruction is given in such
a manner that all related details adhere
to the theme as a whole; very little is
ever lost.

All divisions of natural sciences are in-
cluded in the interests developed on trips.
Prominent is bird study, and the observa-
tion of all animal life, plant and flower
identification, and occasional astronomy
hours. Discussions on the geology, local
history and sociology of the regions visi-
ted are fitted into the programs according
to the facilities the area affords. Stalking
the water holes of mountain sheep, trips
through diatomaceous earth mines and
processing plants, or gloating over the

gorgeously colorful beauties of undersea
marine life from a diving bell, have been
typically cherished incidents of recent
trips.

Three indoor meetings, member pic-
tures and professional showings, are
called for in the constitution. Week-end
and holiday trips scatter through the year ;
in winter south to Sonora, Mexico; in
summer north to the redwoods; short
trips of 200 miles, longer ones to 1200
miles. Desomounters are constitutionally
campers, from sleeping-baggers to trailer-
ites, and are strollers rather than hikers.
Family groups are prominent, and chil-

ren are sO numerous a college youth is
often employed to provide recreation
leadership. The evening gatherings in
camp, the great speakers, the group dis-
cussions, the intermingling smoke, song
and sentiment, plus the reality of human
goodwill oneal all, creates an aroma
of permanence, a reaffirmation of the
goodness of life.

Maine Protects
Predatory Birds

Mrs. Paul E. Hannemann of Tenants
Harbor, Maine, writes of progress made
in that state for bird protection. On
August 20 a state law went into effect
protecting all hawks and owls excepting
the great horned owl. The bill was spon-
sored by the Bird Conservation Club of
Bangor of which Mrs. David House is
president and Mrs. Paul E. Hannemann
is corresponding secretary. The Maine
Audubon Society and several garden clubs
gave active support to this bill.

It was not clear why the great horned
owls were not protected since they are
not numerous enough to make an issue.
Farmers are permitted to destroy indi-
vidual great horned owls caught in the
act of destroying poultry.

November, 1955

Ellsworth Jaeger

PRESIDENT, 1951

All of the past presidents of the ANSS
have been a credit to the Society, and
Ellsworth Jaeger is no exception. We are
happy to report that Mr. Jaeger is at
present Curator of Education of the
Buffalo Museum of Science at Buffalo,
N. Y. This department has extensive con-
tacts with the community through its divi-
sions of Public School Extension, Aduit
Education and Junior Education.

One of the most popular Junior Educa-
tion projects under his direction is the
Camporee”’ held at Humbolt Park
each summer where 300 children ranging
in ages from 6 to 15 gather during the
day tor four weeks Monday through Fri-
day. This Camporee centers around a
colorful Indian Village of painted tepees,
and involves a program of nature study,
arts and crafts, Indian Lore and Dancing,
Folk Dancing, story telling, camp crafts,
outdoor cooking, hiking, council fires and
others.

The great variety of activities were
geared to the children of the different age
groups. Nature hikes provided opportuni-
ties to gather materials for crafts, and to
study local birds, insects, trees and other
wildlife. Campfire programs gave oppor-
tunities for development of skills in se!f
expression. On trips to study local

geology, some flints were obtained with
which flint and steel fires were built.
Jaeger’s other activities include writing
for journals in the field of nature study
and recreation. His Tracks and Trailcraft
is a classic for the library of the student

Ellsworth Jaeger and one of his pet wolves
taken near Hudson Bay when it was three

month old.

AN. SS NEWS LETTER

Invitation to

Audubon Shrine

Mr. J. d’Arcy Northwood is the busy
curator of the John James Audubon
Shrine, the first home in America of the
Famous Naturalist, Audubon. This shrine
is located near Valley Forge at Audubon,
Pennsylvania, and is maintained by the
Montgomery County Park Board where
Mr. Northwood is always glad to meet
groups and give a short talk on the history
of the mansion and its association with
Audubon.

This mansion is the center of a 120
acre wildlife sanctuary with five or six
miles of nature trails and ruins of an old
copper mine where a variety of mineral
specimens may be found.

Persons interested in visiting this
shrine or in getting information should
write to Mr. J. d’Arcy Northwood,
Curator, Audubon Shrine, Audubon, Pa.

Utahns Form
Conservation Education
Council

Recently a group of Utahns interested
in promoting conservation education were
called to a meeting in the offices of the
State Board of Education for the purpose
of initiating action toward the end that
better conservation teaching be promoted
in the schools. After some exploratory
discussion a committee was appointed by
the State Superintendent of Schools, Dr.
E. Allen Bateman, to be known as the
State Conservation Education Council.
(Your editor was appointed to represent
the institutions of higher learning.) Other
members were chosen to represent the
major agencies interested in conservation
education such as the State Fish and Game
Department, the Forestry Service, State
Board of Forest and Fire Control, Soil
Conservation Service, State Department of
Education, and the Association of Soil
Conservation Districts.

of nature signs and activities. Council
Fires and Easy Crafts are two books which
are valuable source materials for nature
programs.

Mr. Jaeger’s most interesting pets are
two wolves which were taken when they
were about three months of age from a
den in the Hudson Bay area. These ani-
mals, Jaeger reports, ‘are quite mild,
tractable animals as sweet and kindly as
the best pet dog. They can be led on a
leash and are frequently taken on walks
in the park around the museum. When
given food they first sing their hunting
howls, a long smooth howl vibrating on
two notes, and then fall to. This seems a
regular procedure.”

Summer Thoughts on
Child Conservation

The followmg is an abstract of an
editorial which appeared in the August
issue of Parks and Recreation, written by
Raymond Gregg, a director of the ANSS.

“Dog Days,’ whose August heat burns
into the enthusiasms of June, give cause
for refuge to air-conditioned space to
think a bit. Let’s think about how well
we have met our responsibilities and
realized upon our opportunities to make
our parks and recreation programs serve
the youth who move almost exmasse from
classroom to outdoor living at the end of
the school year.

First, how well, and what if anything,
did we plan to make our areas and pro-
grams serve youth constructively this
summer? Figuratively, in our programs
are we merely stringing beads, or are we
creating design. Have we served both
body and mind and touched the spark of
spirit? Did the child feel the sense of
achievement, of new adventure, or a new
interest in each activity?

Someone has said repetition makes the
master. There have been some dull mas-
ters in the course of this Globe's history.
Baseball, marbles, tag, ring-around-the-
rosy, and tick-tack-toe can produce bored
rowdies and dull people as readily as all
bird-watching or moth-pinning can pro-
duce screwballs. Balance in program is
the key to balance in the consumer. Yet
often recreation staffs operating in city
park systems well supplied with woods,
field, brooks, rock ledges and trails in-
clude baseball experts, game leaders,
playground specialists, etc., with never a
specialist in such suitable activities as
motivated hiking, path finding, orienteer-
ing, climbing, nature study, gardening,
forestry, soil conservation, camp-craft
and other outdoor skills!

Often we lose sight of the fact that
childhood is a process of growth, not
just one of loved or tolerated existence.
Learning is the essence of living — we
learn or we don’t live long or well.
Growing, learning, do not stop when the
school doors swing outward in June.
When day long guidance switches from
teacher to parent, recreation leader, or
no one, learning changes only in degree
of formality, emphasis, orientation, and
the good or bad portend for society. Many
values available only in summer, and
through contact with the outdoors, can
never come to the child in the learning
routines of extra curricular activities of
the regular school year.

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Briefs

F. K. Lee, one of our Hawaiian mem-
bers sent some clippings regarding an at-
tempt to control the giant African snail
which has become a to the
Islands. Another snail, the moderate sized,
canabalistic Eaglandina
native home is the gulf coastal area from
Texas to Florida has been released in the
hopes that its appetite for other snails
may lead to control of the African mon-
ster which measures up to six inches.

scourge

rosea whose

What of Conservation?

At the Berkeley meetings of the ANSS
discussion was carried out on some prob-
lems of conservation of which the world
has many and in whose solution the
American Nature Study has a stake. To
attack the problems of conservation as is
now often done is to center on the symp-
toms and not on the deep rooted causes.

The education of the American people
is sorely needed to the end that they will
grow in interest in our wildlife, our for-
ests, grasslands, watersheds, and other
facets of our natural world. Unlike the
Europeans, the average American knows
practically none of the common. trees,
birds, flowers, insects or other forms of
outdoor life. There must be an increase
in the numbers of those whose interests
have earned for them the label of bird
watchers. There must be an increase in
the numbers of those whose avocational
or hobby interests are in such related
fields as ferns, insects,
mosses, spiders, molluscs, nature photog-
raphy, and nature writing. The American

flowers, trees,

Nature Study Society is in a strategic
position to stimulate teachers, scout lead-
ers and others to swell the numbers of
young people who become deeply en-
grossed in a nature interest. Such people
have an understanding of nature and its
many ramifying interrelationships which
is basic in understanding the problems
created by disturbing severely the balance
of nature.

We need within the society a strong
committee which will investigate ways in
which the Society can become more effec-
tive, and to initiate procedures to imple-
ment the findings. The logical question
now is to ask for volunteers. There is a
job to be done. We need people to dedi-
cate themselves to the accomplishment of
these worthy objectives.

AN. 5.5. NEWS

Howard Palmer Piser is still deeply en-
grossed in the activities of the ARBOR
Day AssociaTION. The membership of
the ANSS should not let Arbor Day slip
up and slide by this spring without due
recognition of its meaning. Harold Piser,
writes in the December 1955 NATURE
MaGaAZINE that ‘Arbor Day is truly every
day for everybody, everywhere. Let us
then make 1956 the beginning of a new
and greater Arbor Day, because in the
words of its originator, other holidays re-
pose on the past; Arbor Day proposes for
the future.”

Mrs. Harold E. Anthony is informa-
tion chairman of the Palisades Nature
Association which has the responsibility
of developing the Greenbrook Sanctuary,
an area of about 150 acres in Palisades
Interstate Park. She writes of the beauti-
ful view from the Palisades of the Hud-
son 300 feet below; of guided weekly
field trips, illustrated lectures, and of a
training course for potential conservation
leaders. We wonder how many ANSS
members have been in Palisade Interstate
Park. Your editor was last there twenty-
five years ago on a summer's bicycle tour.

LETTER

= November, 1955
Nature Study Expert
Goes on the Air

Mrs. Janet Nickelsburg, one of the
faithful members of the ANSS, has <ar-
ried on an active program in the nature
study field. One of the phases of her
efforts is directed toward a 52-weekly
television program in nature study where
she shares the spotlight with young scien-
tists ranging in ages from 6 to 14. This
program entitled Stop, LOOK AND
LisTEN comes over KQED, covers the bay
area of San Francisco, and features glid-
ing snakes, crawling turtles, and demon-
strations and explanations of hobbies or
collections from bats to rats, to stones
and shells.

An earlier program called SIGNPOsTS
FOR YOUNG SCIENTISTS ran for five years.

Mrs. Nickelsburg recently returned
from setting up nature programs with
camp counselors in 17 camps in Cali-
fornia.

The ANSS is pleased to have such per-
sonalities among its members. She has
served the field of nature study in schools,
recreation departments, and museums for
35 years.

Costs Going Ub

For many years the Cornell Rural School Leaflet and the Canadian Nature have
been a source of ideas and inspiration for teachers at all levels. While all types of
services and other items were rising steadily in price, that of these two fine leaflets
remained fixed. However, recently it was announced that the price of each of these has
gone up fifty cents. This will change the price of the membership in the various cate-
gories for the ANSS. The new listing is given below.

MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION

Group I
Group
Group II
Group VI
Group V
[| Group IV
Group VII
Canadian Nature
Send Applications and Dues Payments to:

$2.00 membership, Newsletter, Cornell Leaflet

$3.00 membership, Newsletter, Canadian Nature

$4.00 membership, Newsletter, Cornell Leaflet, Canadian Nature
$4.00 membership, Newsletter, Nature Magazine

$5.00 membership, Newsletter, Nature Magazine, Cornell Leaflet
$6.00 membership, Newsletter, Nature Magazine, Canadian Nature
$7.00 membership, Newsletter, Nature Magazine, Cornell Leaflet,

Howard Weaver
202 Men’s Old Gym
University of Illinois
Urbana, Illinois

AMERICAN NATURE STUDY SOCIETY
State Teachers College, Fitchburg, Mass.

Sec. 34.65 (e) P. L. @ R.

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